Why should you get your pup on a schedule?
New puppy owners often make the mistake of letting their puppies run wild until they exhaust themselves. This is problematic because puppies who are overly tired or overstimulated are much more likely to bite, chase, bark, growl, and generally show grumpy, aggressive, and/or frantic behaviors. It is better for the pup (and for the human!) to encourage them to settle down for regular naps before they practice those behaviors. You also want to make sure that these are deep, restorative naps - a doze here and there, that is frequently interrupted, will not improve your pup’s behavior.
Potty training is also much easier if your pup is on a consistent schedule!
How do I figure out the right schedule for my pup?
For an 8 week old puppy, I start with a rule of thumb of:
wake up and immediately take out to potty
provide a meal (in a bowl or - better yet - in a food toy, scattered around for them to sniff out, or as rewards during training)
provide playtime/training/exercise for 1 hour (with a potty break in the middle)
take out to potty
nap for 30 minutes - 2 hours
repeat
Of course you’ll adjust as needed. Higher energy pups (such as herding breeds and terriers) will need more time to tire out - BUT watch out for overstimulation leading to behaviors like nipping, barking, or chasing other pets. Lower energy pups (such as growing giant breeds and many small breed lap dogs) will need longer naps.
Extend nap time if your puppy was very tired out (such as from an extended training session or play time with another puppy), and during parts of the day he tends to be more tired. For example, it’s normal for dogs to snooze longer in the middle of the day (from roughly late morning to early afternoon).
Keep in mind that puppies typically need 18-20 hours of sleep a day!
Helping your puppy settle for a nap
Puppy sleeping soundly in a crate.
Use a crate or pen to create a small, calm area for your pup to nap in.
Many puppies settle more easily if they can’t see activity going on around them, so try covering most of the crate/pen with a blanket.
You may need to place their crate/pen in a quiet area of the house, such as a bedroom. (If your puppy cannot handle being separated from you, that is a separate problem that needs specialized training to address.)
Give your pup a “fresh” toy (one they haven’t seen in a couple of days) and at least one chew item or food toy when you put them away, especially if they were already getting over stimulated and need help self-soothing.
Providing a large plush toy to cuddle with also helps them relax and fall asleep. (I believe that it reminds them of their littermates.)
Some puppies benefit from you putting in an item (such as a blanket) that came from the breeder’s home, or a piece of clothing that smells like their new owner.
You can also play calm music and try Adaptil to further help fussy pups settle.
If your pup whines or barks intermittently, ignore them and they will learn to self-soothe and fall asleep.
Note that if your dog is having a panic attack - barking non-stop, trying to escape their crate/pen, hurting themselves, or soiling their bed - that is an anxiety problem that needs specialized training to address.
Extending free time as your pup grows
You can extend awake time if your puppy has recently pottied and is still peppy without being overstimulated. If they haven’t pottied recently, use strict supervision or a tether/crate/pen to discourage accidents, and take them out again in 5-10 minutes. Then give more free time until the pup is tired or it’s time for the next potty trip. If you see that your pup is now consistently holding their bladder/bowels for a longer period (say, 90 minutes instead of 1 hour), you can move their potty schedule accordingly.
If your pup is having accidents during free time, divide it up with more trips outside and strictly supervise indoors.
Some “zoomies” (racing around with a burst of energy) in the evening are normal. If they’re a problem because your pup gets more nippy, plan ahead and provide appropriate exercise and enrichment to channel his energy. If they’re really out of control, that usually means your pup didn’t get enough exercise earlier in the day, so adjust your schedule in the future.
Happy puppy and owner!
Final notes
Put your pup to bed and get them up in the morning at a consistent time, even on weekends.
Most 8-12 week old pups will need 1-2 potty trips outside overnight. If your pup lets you know they need to go out by fussing, you can take them out then. If they potty in their crate/pen without warning you, you’ll need to set an alarm so that you can get them out before then. Reward your pup with a treat for pottying outside, then put them back into their crate/pen without any extra playtime or cuddles.
Many puppies will have trouble regulating their behavior if they’re home alone for 8-10 hours and then awake for 6-8 hours with you; use family, friends, neighbors, walkers, and trainers to get the puppy out for exercise and enrichment while you’re at work.